Shades of Darkness
by LLFOREVER
Summary: Kate watches the sun rise, but all she sees are shades of darkness.
1. Prologue

Summary: Kate watches the sun rise, but all she sees are shades of darkness.Spoilers: Up to "Two for the Road"  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, etc.   
A/N: I hate the way this turned out. It was hard for me to get in the Lost writing mood, but I'm already working on the next chapter. Reviews are lovely.This starts sometime after "Two for the Road."

**Shades of Darkness**

**Prologue**

She stands in the sand, watching the sun rise. Mindlessly, she brushes her hands through her long, tangled hair. She hasn't had a shower in days, and she has already begun perspiring in the heat of the day.

The sound of someone's footsteps catches her attention. Momentarily, she turns and looks to see who it is. This is her time, the morning. She likes to just be something, anything, nothing. For one small part of the day, when no one else is awake, she doesn't have to be the fugitive or Freckles or the runner. She can just be whatever she wants.

Without saying a word, she glances back at the rising sun. They've been on the island for almost two months. Over two months? She's lost track of time. After all, when there's no where to be, time stands still. And everyday, she watches the sun rise. Its brilliant colors splash across the sky, but all she sees are shades of darkness. Will they be here for another hour or another month? Will they be here forever?

--

He stares out at the ocean waves. It seems like the mornings are the only time someone isn't pestering him about a minor scratch or a headache or some other little thing. He never asked to be the leader, but he can't turn away from people in need.

No one ever asks about his needs. Even if they did, he couldn't tell them. Some people crave chocolate, and others want to sleep in a real bed. He's different though. He needs her to have his back, to keep up his own morale, to be there. He only needs her.

As he walks closer, his chest tightens. He feels as though he is underwater, struggling for air. Sometimes she lets him in, and he sees the raw pain and hurt in her eyes. That's when he feels helpless. That's when he wants to ask her about her past. But then he remembers what he told her, and he stops himself. _"Three days ago, we all died. We should all be able to start over."_

--

"What are you doing here?" She winces as the words leave her mouth. She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. She sees a hurt look flash across his eyes and quickly amends her question. "I didn't mean I don't want you here, and I'm not saying I do or anything, but I thought you were still sorting things out in the hatch."

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." She smiles without realizing it. It has taken her awhile to realize the truth, but he's different. He actually cares, and for once, she cares, too.

He wants to kiss her again, be close to her again, like they were in the trap. Instead, he maintains his distance but allows a small smile to creep across his face as he watches her face light up.

"When was the last time you slept?" He shrugs. He doesn't remember, and he doesn't care.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't ask one. Am I going to have to drug you again?" He chuckles softly. He wants to tell her that being near her is like taking a drug. His heart races, his skin becomes clammy, and he feels like he's flying. As soon as she's gone, he comes crashing down, back to the island, back to the people depending on him, and back to reality.

"Jack," she whispers. He glances up at her eyes. In one swift motion, he has his arms around her. He kisses her with hot, fiery kisses that leave her lips burning. His hands tug softly at her hair, and finally, they both pull away, breathing heavily. This time, he's the one who backs away a few steps.

"I'm okay, Jack." Their eyes meet, and then he knows – knows that she's not sorry, that this isn't over. She smiles and then turns back to watch the sun rise.

And for the first time, she sees the light.


	2. Breaking Point

A/N: Drum roll, please. This chapter is just as half-assed as the first one, and it shows. I couldn't get into Claire very well – very evident. Anyway, this kind of just serves as a transition point until I figure out where this is going. 

**Chapter 1 – Breaking Point**

Jack takes a deep breath as he goes back into the hatch. This wasn't supposed to happen. People weren't supposed to start shooting each other. He was supposed to be the one to stop it.

Tears roll down his cheeks as he feels himself starting to fall apart. His knees begin to give way. The ground beneath him fades away, and then the blackness comes.

_Jack strides toward his car, carrying a grocery bag. The warm California sun beats down on the hot parking lot, and he pulls out his sunglasses. _

_Cooking has always been a hobby of his. He remembers helping Tony, their cook, when he was young. Tony taught him to judge with all of his senses, not just his eyes. Cooking seemed to come naturally to him. He craved that search for just the right mix of ingredients and temperatures. _

_He stops at his car and opens the trunk. He tosses the bag in. Suddenly, someone throws him against the ground. Blinding pain shoots through his shoulder, and he barely has time to breathe or think. _

"_Get up!" Jack tries to focus his eyes on the person standing over him, but the sun affects his view. "Come on, man. Get the hell up!"_

"_What do you want from me?" Jack struggles to push himself up into a sitting position. He reaches back for his wallet, but the pain in his shoulder is too intense. Someone bends forward and hits him on the head, hard. Within seconds, everything is black._

--

Kate shudders as a cool ocean breeze surrounds her. She wants answers. Answers about the hatch, answers about Michael, but most of all, she wants answers about Jack.

"Are you okay, Kate?" Kate glances up at Claire and smiles wistfully. She can only remember what it used to feel like to be 'okay.' Was she ever okay? She shrugs, not trusting herself to speak. After all, speaking has never been her strongest point.

In her mind, Kate sees Jack slowly falling apart, and she doesn't know what to do. No words seem good enough, no touch seems powerful enough… nothing is enough.

"Kate?" Tears begin to trickle out of Kate's eyes. She doesn't remember a time in her life when someone actually cared about her. Quickly, her memory contradicts her. There were two. There was Tom, and there was the man.

"I don't know how to help him." She glances up at Claire, who moves to sit beside her. "He's too good to me. Everyone I've ever cared about got hurt because of me. I don't want to hurt him."

Confusion fills her voice. She's caught in the struggle – the struggle between faith and reason – and for the first time in her life, she thinks it might be okay to follow faith.

"You won't." Claire smiles softly and reaches out to Kate. "You won't."

"Kate! Kate!" Kate jumps up as Charlie runs toward them. "You have to get down to the hatch, now. It's Jack." Kate doesn't even stop to listen to the rest of what Charlie has to say. She runs; after all, that's what she's best at. But this time is different. This time, she has a direction.

--

"_Come on. Wake up. Look at me." Jack opens his eyes. He has trouble focusing with the dim light, but the woman talking to him seems to glow in the half light. He memorizes every inch of her dark curly hair and green eyes. _

_He remembers when he was younger, when he played on the playground with his cousins. He wanted to be the hero. What did they always say to him? Oh, yeah. "You can't be the hero. You don't have a girlfriend, and the hero has to have a heroine." This, he thinks, this may be his heroine. _

_She quickly gives him a once over. Sticky blood covers her hand when she touches his head gently. She knows whoever brought him here will surely be back soon. And this time, she won't leave him to die. _

"_You scared me there. I thought I was gonna have to drag you out of here. We don't have much time. I've gotta get you out of here." She quickly flips open a pocket knife and rips through the thin cloths tied around his hands and feet. They both freeze when they hear someone shake a door handle. "Come on. Put your good arm around my shoulders." As gently as possible, she helps him up._

_The warm air hits him as the exit the building, but the sky is dark. They walk a few blocks in silence, and then he realizes he has no idea what they're doing or where they're going. Right now, though, it doesn't matter. He never imagined that someone else could make him feel as alive as he does after saving a patient, but she does. He feels his chest constrict every time her hair brushes against his face. He feels his mind spin and his body float. He feels alive._

"_I don't, I don't even know your name," he says. He glances at her and smiles. A sparkle seems to flicker in her eyes, but then it disappears as quickly as it appeared when she speaks. That's when he realizes it._

_She is his heroine. And he thinks he could be her hero._

_For the first time, she smiles at him. His eyes mesmerize her, and momentarily, she can't find her voice. She barely stops to let herself believe… believe that if she weren't running, he could be the one that every girl dreams about. As soon as the idea flickers in her mind, she puts it out like a candle. It's too unreasonable and impractical. She takes a deep breath and sighs._

"_I'm Renee."_

--

Kate races into the hatch, her heart seemingly beating out of her chest. She runs straight into Sawyer, who steps back with a disgruntled snort.

"Well, well, Freckles. All you had to do was say my name." She glares at him and considers hitting him, but she doesn't care about him, not the way she cares about Jack.

"Where is he? Where's Jack?" She turns around, looking. "Where is he?" He needs her, and this time, she's ready to be there. She tries to catch her breath as she glares at Sawyer.

"Easy now," Sawyer drawls.

"Where is Jack?" A note of desperation fills her voice, and Sawyer meets her eyes. They've reached it. The breaking point. "Please, take me to him."

"Come on. He's on the couch." Sawyer grabs her elbow and pulls her toward him. Kate pulls away and runs toward Jack. In seconds, she pushes everyone else away and grabs the wet washcloth beside him.

"Jack. Jack, come on. Wake up. Jack, it's Kate. Look at me." Kate gives Jack's shoulder a nervous shake as she wipes his face. "Jack, please, wake up."

His eyes flutter open, and Kate breathes a sigh of relief. He winces in pain as he tries to sit up, but Kate puts a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. Sit back. You scared me there." She searches his face, trying to see how he feels. Sometimes, he lets her in, lets her see the real pain and hurt behind his eyes. It's then that she feels it. She feels some kind of connection, but neither of them can quite finger it.

He watches her look him over and resists the temptation to smile. Suddenly, her eyes meet his, and it clicks. He can barely think or breathe, but it's there. She stares at him for a long time, and neither of them wants to be the first to say it.

"Come on, Jack. Let's take a walk."

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A/N: Done. Finally. Anyway, I'm off to go sleep more. My throat is scratchy, and my voice is practically gone. Reviews are lovely.


	3. Answers

A/N: Okay, so that last chapter kind of got things going. I'm really excited about where this is going; it's going to be fun to write. I hope you guys like it, and I love to hear what you think! 

**Chapter 2 – Answers**

They walk through the jungle, toward the beach. As they walk, Kate glances at Jack occasionally, but for the most part, she watches their feet. Jack takes long, quick strides. He always seems like he has a mission. On the other hand, her steps are brisk, but short. They've always gotten her where she needs to go, but she's unaccustomed to being _there_, where she wants to be.

Taking a deep breath, Kate grabs Jack's hand and gives it a little squeeze. He looks at her, surprised, but he smiles, and then they walk hand in hand. Kate feels like her heart is racing out of control. All of a sudden, she imagines herself as a teenage girl in a new relationship. Cotton seems to fill her mouth as she tries to form words.

Jack sighs and looks over at Kate. He doesn't know if he has ever been this nervous about a girl. They continue to walk in silence until they reach the beach. Jack watches Kate with a smile as she digs her feet into the sand when they sit. When she leans against him and puts her head on his shoulder, he can smell her hair, and he remembers.

--

_He glances at her and then looks around. She feels him hesitate and stops._

"_Are you okay? Do we need to stop?" Renee brushes her hair out of her face and tries to help support him more._

"_No, I'm okay. I think… we're close to my place. We just need to go another block down that way," he says, giving an off-hand wave. The pain in his shoulder has dulled some, but his head still throbs. Renee seems nervous, so he tries to downplay the pain. He doesn't want her or anyone else to worry about him._

"_I told you my name, but you never told me yours." Renee starts to flash him a flirty grin, and then she catches herself. After tonight, she will never see him again. She can't. Briefly, she closes her eyes and counts the number of people who got hurt because of her._

_He smirks. The night sky covers the heated blush in his cheeks, but he stumbles over his words a bit when he speaks. _

"_Chris. I'm Chris." Jack is hesitant to tell her his real name. He doesn't know why, but he feels as though a bond would be broken._

"_Well, Chris, how did you get yourself into this mess?" Jack chuckles. _

"_I guess that depends if you're talking about getting attacked and kidnapped or my wife leaving me." He pauses to catch his breath, and she pulls him closer. "What about you? How did you find me? Why did you help me? They could have killed you."_

_For a minute, they are both silent. Tears begin to roll down Renee's cheeks. She wants to tell him everything – how she never meant to kill a man, how she saw him get hurt as she was on the run and felt drawn to him, how her life is royally screwed up. But then she remembers that her life is still in danger. She can't hurt anyone again._

_Jack looks over in surprise when he hears Renee's voice choke as she tries to speak. _

"_Hey, hey. It's okay." Gently, he pushes her hair back. Her eyes glisten with tears, and he doesn't know what to say to make it right. He wants everything to be okay. Not for him, but for her. _

_He wants to be her hero._

_Renee doesn't want him to worry about her, but the words come spilling out of her mouth. "You could have been killed. You could have died. All of it is my fault. It's my fault he died. It's my fault my mom died."_

"_Shhh…" Jack's mind races as she continues to mumble. He wants to know who the man is and what happened to her mom, but he doesn't ask. "Shh… it's okay. I'm here. I've got your back." He raises his good arm and gently wipes her cheek with his thumb. _

_And then, the tears begin to fall._

--

Jack takes a deep breath and smiles wistfully as Kate glares at him.

"What the hell happened down there?" Kate's voice is still laced with panic. "What if no one had been there? Why aren't you taking care of yourself, Jack?" Her eyes begin to fill with tears. "Everyone needs you. They look up to you."

"Hey, easy. I'm okay. Kate, I'm okay."

"That's not the point! Just tell me what's going on," Kate snaps. She tries to wipe the tears out of her eyes, but they continue to fall uncontrollably as Jack pulls her close. "I need you," she whispers. "I'm sorry I ran, but I'm not running now. This is where I want to be."

Jack stares into her eyes. Before their jungle trek, he would have questioned her integrity, but he knows now that she's not sorry. He brushes her hair out of her face and pulls her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kate," he whispers. His voice sends tingles through Kate's body. She closes her eyes, and Jack leans back, letting her sleep.

--

_His touch sends shivers down Renee's spine. She didn't ask any questions as he led her into a lavish apartment building. Somehow, they both know that there isn't time for questions, and neither Jack nor Renee has answers._

_He kisses her all over. His hands brush through her hair, and he tries to memorize every touch, every kiss, every moment. He memorizes the smell of her hair and her throaty voice as she says his name._

_She wants to savor every moment they have together. In her mind, she wishes that they could have the time for this to amount to something more. Once again though, it's her fault. She messed up, and now she has to pay the consequences alone._

_--_

_Before the night is over, he tries to convince her to stay. They both know what her answer will be, but he feels a duty to try, and she feels a duty to answer. He seems to care like no one ever has before. No one except Tom, she thinks. _

_His voice is desperate, but he already knows that her answer will be no. He has always wanted someone to hold on, but for the first time in his life, he thinks there's more here. She's not just some girl, and he's not just some guy. _

_She doesn't want to leave, but she knows this is for the best. At least, that's what she tells herself and hears herself saying over and over. He makes her feel complete, but she can't risk it. She wants the answers, but she knows she won't find them by staying._

--

When Kate stirs, she glances up at Jack. She smiles softly and looks around. Pink and orange shades splash across the sky, and the waves crash with their familiar roar.

"Hey, sleepyhead." He opens his mouth to say more, but she raises her finger to his lips. Together, they stand and walk to the edge of the water. He wraps his arm around her shoulder, and together, they watch the sunset.

No words pass between them, but no words are needed.

They have their answers.

* * *

A/N: Okay. You have permission to kill me. I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! School got incredibly busy, but we got out today, so I should be able to write a bunch soon. Be on the lookout for more. Reviews are lovely. 


	4. Begin the Begin

A/N: Okay, so, um… I'm leaving today for Texas, and when I get back, it's almost time for school to start. I'll probably try to update one more time before August 17th, and then I'm not sure what my update schedule will be like. 

**Chapter 3 – Begin the Begin**

Kate smiles as she watches Claire playing with Aaron. Even though they don't have a lot in common, she and Claire have become close friends. After all, they need friendship if they're going to get through _this_. Briefly, she closes her eyes and remembers what Jack said. _"If we can't live together, we're gonna die alone." _

"So, Kate, what are you thinking about?" Kate opens one eye and glances at Claire. She's almost scared to verbalize it because it seems crazy. She plays out the various scenarios in her head.

"Crashing here… in this place… was like a breath of fresh air for me. I think it was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me." She bites her lip, waiting for Claire to laugh. To her surprise, Claire nods.

"I can't believe that I was going to give Aaron up. I think we all got a second chance, Kate, a second chance at life."

"You know… once, Jack told me the same thing. He said we all died and had a chance to start over." Claire giggles when Kate mentions Jack, and Kate feels the heat of a blush. Suddenly, Kate has an overwhelming desire to tell Claire about how she feels about Jack, about how they met, and where they are now. She opens her mouth but stops when she sees Jack approach. "Claire, I'm gonna go… take a walk with Jack."  
--  
"_Renee, wait." Renee stops at the door and turns back. Jack's eyes are bloodshot, and his voice is scratchy. "Please, don't go yet. Let's… let's go for a drive."_

"_Your car isn't here." Momentarily, Renee closes her eyes. She feels herself begin to crack. She wants to stay._

"_Growing up, it was so hard for me to trust men. And then when I did… he got hurt. He died, and it was my fault." She glances up at Jack and bites her lip. "I don't want you to get hurt."_

_He stares at her for what feels like a good minute, but he knows it's less. He tries to remember everything that has happened in the past twenty four hours, but most of it is a blur. All he remembers is Renee – everything she's said and everything she's done. And frankly, that's all he wants to remember._

_Renee holds her breath for a moment. She eyes Jack and smiles, tentatively. He gets it. He's not pushing, and she doesn't feel the need to pull._

"_We'll take a walk then. Come on. Let me buy you a muffin or something; the Starbucks around the corner is still open." Renee opens her mouth to say no, but she feels herself nodding yes. Suddenly, tears fill her eyes. Jack is by her side in an instant, but she turns away._

"_I don't know how to begin again."_  
--  
"Jack!" Kate glances up as a random survivor runs toward them. "Jack, I need help!"

Kate thinks she hears Jack sigh, but when she looks at him, he smiles back. Only the tired look in his eyes gives any indication that this is all taking a toll on him.

Jack shifts the pack on his back and clenches his teeth while maintaining a smile. He never expected all of his training and years of school to come to this – treating scratches on an island in the middle of nowhere.

Kate watches him treat the woman's scrape. He works quickly and skillfully. She almost laughs as she thinks about what she did for him when they met on the island.

"If it had been anyone else, I would have said no." Jack looks up in surprise as Laura walks away. Kate shrugs and sits beside him, taking a moment to twirl a stick in her fingers.

"What do you mean?" Kate looks down and takes a deep breath, counting to five in her head.

"I wouldn't have stitched up your back that day. Not if I hadn't known."   
--  
"_When I was little, I used to suck on lemons, just to make my lips pucker." Renee licks her lips and adjusts the pillow behind her head._

_Jack chuckles and takes another bite of his ice cream. Somehow, they've ended up back at his apartment, eating rocky road ice cream on the couch._

"_I used hide under my parents' bed at night so I could hear when my dad got home," Jack says, slowly. He sighs and wonders if he would be that kind of father._

"_I always wanted to go to the moon," Renee says, almost wistfully. "I wanted to do anything to get away from… from that house. It was never home for me."_

"_I wanted to be my dad until I found out who he really was. And now… I'm afraid I've become him." Jack's eyes slide toward his liquor cabinet and then back to Renee._

_Silence fills the room as he leans forward and twirls Renee's hair around his finger. She reaches out and takes his hand in her own._

"_I can't cook at all. I burn toast," she admits. Jack nods as he traces the lines that criss-cross her palm. _

"_Our cook taught me, when I was younger." Renee smiles in spite of herself. Growing up, she hadn't had a lot of money and often resented those who did, but this guy isn't like that. _

"_It figures. Your dad must have had a good job." Jack shrugs and nods as Renee continues. "I grew up in Iowa. I rode horses during the day."_

"_I read books and played baseball. I was always better at golf though."_

"_Renee isn't my real name." Renee covers her mouth in shock. She wants to take it back, but Jack responds just as quickly._

"_And Chris isn't my real name." For a moment, they both sit in a comfortable silence. Somehow, they both knew that anyway, Renee thinks._

"_I love the rain."_  
--  
The small fire illuminates the faces surrounding it. Kate spots Jack, near Claire and Charlie, and she squeezes in beside him.

"Hey. We're playing 'I Never' – want to join?" Against her best judgment, Kate nods and rests her head on Jack's shoulder. "Okay, Claire. Go."

"I never thought I lost someone forever and then found him or her again."

Kate's body tenses as she numbly accepts a shot glass. She glances at Jack, and for a split second, she sees his real side. For a moment, she realizes just how vulnerable he is to the pain.

And then they drink.  
--  
A/N: Jate is love. Please review – thanks!

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	5. Feels Like Home

A/N: I was seriously thrilled to come home and see all of the reviews. Thanks so much – continue! The reviews really do fuel my… writing. Today's update is basically… drabbles, but bear with me. Haha. 

**Chapter 4 – Feels Like Home**

"_Seeing's believing, but feeling's the truth." –Thomas Fuller_

Kate frowns as she sits in her tent. She spins an empty shot glass around in her hands and laughs bitterly. She glares at Sawyer as he pokes his head in, but he doesn't take the hint. No, she corrects herself, he ignores the hint.

"What do you want?" Kate snarls. She bites her lip, not meaning to sound that harsh, but she shrugs. Sawyer's a big boy.

"Well, well… is Doctor Jack not taking care of all of your needs?" Sawyer smirks and tosses fruit at Kate. He eyes the shot glass and chuckles. "You know, most people wait until after lunch to do shots."

"I'm not most people." Kate pauses and traces her finger around the edge of the shot glass. "Besides, I wasn't drinking. I'm remembering."  
--  
"_Katherine, go to your room, please, for twenty minutes." Kate glances up at her mother and nods. She knows that another fight is about to ensue in less than one minute. Her life is all about numbers. Twelve is the number of stair steps to the second floor. Eleven is the number of times that she planned to run away. Ten is how old she was the first time she cut her finger cleaning up glass shards from a broken glass after a fight. The most important number, though, is zero. Zero is the number of times she plans on looking back when she leaves._

_She's gotten good at waiting, waiting until she's in her room to cry. The tears burn as they well up in her eyes, but they don't hurt that much, not as much as it hurts when she hears her parents fighting again. After all, tears are something she can fix. Tears can be wiped away._  
--  
"I heard you, Jack, Claire, and Charlie had quite a game of "I Never" last night. Didn't know we were playing with other people," Sawyer teases. Kate closes her eyes for a moment, remembering the burning taste of liquor as she drank last night.  
--  
"_Kate, we need to talk." Kate glances up at Jack and then down at her feet. He's right. He's always right. Sometimes she thinks it should bother her, but it doesn't._

"_Please, not tonight, Jack. I'm not ready to talk about that," she says, choking on her last words. "I'm not ready to be broken again," she whispers._

"_What? Kate, it's me. You can tell me." _

"_I'm not ready to be broken again."_  
--  
"Hey, whoa, now, don't get all… girly on me. I can't take it if you start crying. That's why you have Jack." Sawyer touches Kate's chin gently, and she looks at him. "If you're upset about something he did, I'll take 'em down for you. If you and the doc are having your own issues, I ain't a couples' counselor. That'd be more Claire's thing." Kate smiles, despite her tears. She's found that big brother that she always wanted.

"I don't know where we are. No one ever taught me the right way to do this, Sawyer. He's everything I'm not." Kate tries to smile again, but she can only blink back more tears. She wishes they could do this the right way, with no island or criminal history or significant others.

"He's ugly and stupid?"  
--  
_Renee watches Jack as he crosses the room to the kitchen. She tries to memorize everything about the way he walks, the way he stands, and the way he smiles. She's staring, but when he turns to look at her, she realizes she doesn't care if he knows._

"_Are you checking me out?" Jack smirks and continues, "There's no harm to it." Renee giggles. _

"_Please. I've seen better." Jack raises his eyebrows, and Renee feels the heat of a blush. He comes back over to the couch, but this time, he pulls her into his lap. "You know I used to eat mud."_

"_I ate Play dough. My mom always got so mad. She would buy it, and I'd eat it within a week. She kept buying it though."_

"_I punched a boy at recess once because he told my friend that her lunchbox was babyish." Jack smiles, trying to imagine Renee as a little girl._

"_You're beautiful. You know that, right?" Jack's breath burns Renee's neck. She shivers as he kisses her gently. _

"_Way to change the subject there." Renee doesn't mind though, not really. He's different. He's not there to use her. She closes her eyes and tries to block out the one thought that has been with her all night._

_She wants to stay._  
--  
"I don't want to let him down." Kate pauses and takes a swig of water. "I don't know how to talk to him about our past." Sawyer frowns in confusion.

"Past? Freckles, we landed on the damn island! What is there to talk about?" Kate shakes her head vigorously.

"I knew him before that."  
--  
"_It rains here, sometimes," Jack says, smiling. He squeezes Renee's hand. "You know, I moved here recently. If I borrowed a line from a song, would you run for the door?" Renee giggles and shakes her head, so he continues. "It hasn't felt like home before you."_  
--  
"Now, I know he seems scary, but deep down, Jacko is full of warm and gushy feelings." Kate laughs in spite of herself. "Talk to him. Freckles, all ya gotta do is count to five." Sawyer smirks and then stands to leave the tent.

Kate watches him walk away, and then she jumps up and runs toward him, tackling him full on. Sawyer steps forward and grumbles, but he keeps his balance.

"Jesus! All you have to do is say my name." Kate giggles and shakes her head.

"You and Jack are more alike than you think."  
--  
"_I'm serious. I don't have friends other than Marc."_

"_Come on! You have to have friends. Everyone has friends. Even I have friends," Renee says, neglecting to mention that he probably doesn't want to frequent dark alleys where they work. _

"_I haven't had another friend since I was seven. He lived next door to me since we were two. His name was James, but everybody called him Jimmy. He was a quirky kid. Smart as a whip, on the street and book smart." Jack pauses and laughs. "I always managed to lick him in poker though."_  
--  
Sawyer groans at Kate's revelation.

"I seem to remember someone saying something… what was it now? Oh yeah. Some chick said, 'You're actually comparing yourself to Jack?' Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that was you."

"You're a pain in the ass, Sawyer. You know that right?"

"Hey, don't look now, but I think Jackass is the one you should be worried about." Kate whirls around to see Jack's retreating form. She doesn't have to be beside him to realize that he's angry.

Kate glares at Sawyer, even though she knows it's her fault this time. She runs toward Jack, trying to get him to stop.

"Jack! Wait!" She reaches out and grabs his arm. "Can we talk?"

"What? I don't get a tackle like Sawyer? Kate, I'm busy. Besides, I thought you didn't want to be broken. Yeah, well, neither do I." Jack turns to walk away, and Kate steps back, hurt.

"Jack, it was nothing. He's just my friend." Jack freezes for a moment. A million things pop into his mind, but this time, he's keeping his mouth shut.

"I know what I saw."

"Yeah? Well, I know what I felt that night and what I feel right now. You know what it feels like?" Kate wipes tears from her eyes as she stares into Jack's eyes. "It feels like home."  
--  
A/N: Okay, maybe this is going to sound selfish, but… please review. I put a lot of effort into everything I write, and I feel like there should be more than one review per 100 reads (because that's about the average). I don't want you guys to think that I'm conceited or anything, but I really do love to hear what you think. If you give me suggestions, I'll really look those things over.


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